2026 Concerts

Thursday, August 13, 2026, 6 p.m.
Taos Community Auditorium

This program celebrates the power of American imagination through two pioneering voices — one in music, one in film.

The sweeping “Piano Quintet” by Amy Beach stands as a milestone in American chamber music. At a time when European models dominated concert life, Beach wrote with confidence, emotional depth, and unmistakable individuality, helping to define what an American classical voice could be.

From the concert hall, we move to the silent screen with Buster Keaton’s legendary comedy, “The General.” Set during the Civil War and renowned for its breathtaking stunts and inventive storytelling, the film embodies the daring, humor, and ingenuity that characterize American artistic spirit.

Performed with live music, it becomes a vibrant fusion of past and present.
Together, these works honor artists who forged new paths, trusted their voices, and expanded the boundaries of their art. American Originals invites us to experience liberty, not only as history, but as creative courage — alive in sound, motion, and imagination.

Piano Quintet, op. 67 (1905) (30 minutes )
AMY BEACH  (1867-1944)

• Adagio
• Allegro moderato
• Adagio expressivo
• Allegro agitato
• Adagio come prima
• Presto

Benny Kim, violin • Daniel Phillips, violin • Toby Appel, viola • Angela Park, cello • Marina Iwao, piano

INTERMISSION

1926 film “The General” Starring Buster Keaton w/ live film score by Stephen Prutsman (45-50 minutes)
KEATON/PRUTSMAN

Daniel Phillips, violin • Chili Ekman, violin • Toby Appel, viola • Angela Park, cello • Marina Iwao, piano

Friday, August 14, 2026, 1:00 p.m. • Free
United Church of Angel Fire

Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Moreno Valley Preparatory

This program traces a musical journey across oceans, generations, and identities — a dialogue between Europe and America that continues to shape our artistic world.

We begin with the luminous elegance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose “Adagio” reflects the refinement and expressive balance at the heart of the Classical tradition. His music represents the European foundations upon which so much of Western art music was built.

From there, we turn to the distinctly American voice of Aaron Copland. His “Duo for Flute and Piano” captures the openness, clarity, and quiet lyricism that came to define a uniquely American sound in the twentieth century.

Contemporary composer and violist Kenji Bunch brings the journey into the present with “The Viola Burns Longer,” a work of rhythmic vitality and emotional intensity that reflects today’s richly layered musical landscape.

The program culminates with Antonín Dvorák’’s beloved “American” quartet — a work born of his time in the United States and infused with spirituals, folk influences, and a deep curiosity about American musical identity.

Here, a European master absorbs and reimagines the sounds of a new world.

Together, these works reveal music as a living exchange — ideas crossing borders, traditions transforming, and voices responding to one another across time. Transatlantic Voices celebrates the enduring conversation

Adagio in E Major, K. 261 for violin and piano (1776) (7 minutes)
W.A. MOZART  (1756-1791)

Benny Kim, violin • Marina Iwao, piano

Duo for Flute and Piano (15 minutes)
AARON COPLAND  (1900-1990)

• Flowing
• Poetic, somewhat mournful
• Lively with a bounce

Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Marina Iwao, piano

The Viola Burns Longer: Four Vignettes for solo viola, piano, and string quartet (2024)
Kenji Bunch (b. 1973)

• Fast and Rhythmic
• Flicker
• Smolder
• Blaze

Toby Appel, solo viola • Marina Iwao, piano
Candide Quartet
Chili Ekman, violin • Henry Rogers, violin • Amelia Krinke, viola • Vanny Hu, cello

INTERMISSION

String Quartet No. 12 in F, op. 96 “American” (25 min)
Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)

• Allegro ma non troppo
• Lento
• Molto vivace
• Trio
• Finale. Vivace ma non troppo

Daniel Phillips, violin • Benny Kim, violin • Toby Appel, viola • Angela Park, cello

Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
Shuler Theater, Raton, N.M.

This program celebrates the power of American imagination through two pioneering voices — one in music, one in film.

The sweeping “Piano Quintet” by Amy Beach stands as a milestone in American chamber music. At a time when European models dominated concert life, Beach wrote with confidence, emotional depth, and unmistakable individuality, helping to define what an American classical voice could be.

From the concert hall, we move to the silent screen with Buster Keaton’s legendary comedy, “The General.” Set during the Civil War and renowned for its breathtaking stunts and inventive storytelling, the film embodies the daring, humor, and ingenuity that characterize American artistic spirit.

Performed with live music, it becomes a vibrant fusion of past and present.
Together, these works honor artists who forged new paths, trusted their voices, and expanded the boundaries of their art. American Originals invites us to experience liberty, not only as history, but as creative courage — alive in sound, motion, and imagination.

Piano Quintet, op. 67 (1905) (30 minutes )
AMY BEACH  (1867-1944)

• Adagio
• Allegro moderato
• Adagio expressivo
• Allegro agitato
• Adagio come prima
• Presto

Benny Kim, violin • Daniel Phillips, violin • Toby Appel, viola • Angela Park, cello • Marina Iwao, piano

INTERMISSION

1926 film “The General” Starring Buster Keaton w/ live film score by Stephen Prutsman (45-50 minutes)
KEATON/PRUTSMAN

Daniel Phillips, violin • Chili Ekman, violin • Toby Appel, viola • Angela Park, cello • Marina Iwao, piano

Monday, August 17, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. • Free
United Church of Angel Fire

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
United Church of Angel Fire

This program explores how composers across three centuries have claimed creative freedom by reshaping tradition in bold and personal ways.
We begin with Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major,” where elegant dance forms become profound expressions of imagination, revealing how freedom can emerge through discipline, craft, and creativity.

Elliott Carter’s “Au Quai for Viola and Bassoon” offers a striking study in contrast and dialogue, allowing each instrument to assert its own rhythmic and expressive identity. The work reflects Carter’s uncompromising commitment to individuality and multiple perspectives.

Kian Ravaei’s “iPod Variations for Flute, Violin, and Electronics” brings this spirit into the digital age. Blending memory, technology, and personal narrative, the work transforms familiar musical fragments into an evolving sonic landscape that bridges tradition and innovation.

The program concludes with one of Joseph Haydn’s groundbreaking Op. 20 “Sun” Quartets, works that redefined chamber music through inventive structures, expressive depth, and a newly democratic interplay among voices.

Together, these works reveal freedom as an evolving creative force. From Bach’s timeless ingenuity to Carter’s radical independence, Ravaei’s contemporary vision, and Haydn’s revolutionary reinvention of the quartet, Freedom Reimagined celebrates the enduring courage to innovate and speak in one’s own voice.

* This concert will be performed without an intermission*

Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009 (1717-1723) (22 Minutes)
BACH (1685-1750)

• Prelude
• Allemande
• Courante
• Sarabande
• Bourrée I and II
• Gigue

Colin Carr, cello

Au Quai for Viola and Bassoon (2002) (5 minutes)
ELLIOTT CARTER (1908-2012)

Toby Appel, viola • Peter Kolkay, bassoon

iPod Variations for Flute, Violin and Electronics (2005) (12 minutes)
KIAN RAVAEI (b. 1999)

Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Daniel Phillips, violin

String Quartet in F minor, Hob. III: 35, op, 20 No. 5 (1772) (21 minutes)
JOSEPH HAYDN (1730-1809)

• Allegro moderato
• Menuetto
• Adagio
• Fuga a 2 soggetti

The Dolphins
Isaac Park, violin • Luke Henderson, violin • James Preucil, viola • Ian Maloney, cello

Duet in G Major for Flute and Violin (14 minutes)
FRANK ANTON HOFFMEISTER (1754-1812)

• Allegro
• Adagio
• Allegretto

Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Daniel Phillips, violin

Duo for Violin and Cello, H.157 (14 minutes)
BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ (1890-1959)

• Preludium. Andante moderato – Poco vivo
• Rondo. Allegro con brio

Benny Kim, violin • Eric Kim, cello

Flute Quartet in C Major, K. 285b (17 minutes)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)

• Allegro
• Andantino, Theme and variations

Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Daniel Phillips, viola • Cathy Meng Robinson, violin • Keith Robinson, cello

A Tale for Two Violins (21 Minutes)
KRISTAPOR NAJARIAN  (b. 1991)

• Introduction – Over The Plateau
• Kef – Festivities (Loy Loy)
• Rendezvous (Ambets Gorav, Lousengan)
• Capture (Groung)
• Misty Morning – Lament
• Escape (Nehavent Longa)

Ani Kavafian, violin • Ida Kavafian, violin

Friday, August 21, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Eagle Nest Community Center

*Dinner and 2 drinks are included in your ticket purchase*

Rampart St. Rowhouse Rag from String Quartet No. 1(1995)
MARSALAS (b.1961)

Etchmiadzin Dance
Folk Songs arr. KOMITAS (1869-1935)

Isle of Capri
WILL GROSZ (1894-1939)

Por una Cabeza
CARLOS GARDEN (1890-1935)

The Dolphins
Luke Henderson, violin • Isaac Park, violin • James Preucil, viola • Ian Maloney, cello

Libertango
ASTORr PIAZZOLLA  arr. Candide Quartet

Mambo from West Side Story
LEONARD BERNSTEIN arr. Amelia Krinke

Beethoven Hat Dance
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
JESUS GONZALEZ RUBIO/arr. Candide Quartet

Prado Selection
PÉREZ arr. Candide Quartet

Candide Quartet
Chili Ekman, violin • Henry Rogers, violin • Amelia Krinke, viola • Vanny Hu, cello

Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Moreno Valley Preparatory

This program celebrates the many ways American composers have translated landscape, history, and inner life into sound, tracing a journey through nearly two centuries of the nation’s artistic imagination.

The program opens with Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s “The Union,” a Civil War–era work infused with patriotic fervor and public sentiment. Part concert piece and part political statement, it reflects a moment when music served as a rallying force for national identity and collective purpose.
Rebecca Clarke’s “Prelude, Allegro, and Pastorale” for clarinet and viola offers a more intimate perspective. Though English-born, Clarke spent much of her career in the United States, and this evocative work explores a rich emotional landscape through lyricism, warmth, and striking instrumental color.

A world premiere by Michael Brown brings this tradition into the present. Rooted in lyricism, clarity, and emotional immediacy, Brown’s music reflects a contemporary American voice—one that honors heritage while reaching toward new possibilities. His work reminds us that the story of American music continues to evolve with each generation.

At the heart of the program is Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” one of the most beloved works in American music. With its open harmonies, folk-inspired melodies, and sense of spaciousness, the piece evokes both physical landscape and spiritual aspiration—a musical portrait of optimism, community, and renewal. Few works have so powerfully shaped our collective image of the American sound.

Together, these works form a musical map of America: its wide horizons and quiet interiors, its moments of struggle and hope, its shared ideals and creative spirit. Spanning the Civil War, the twentieth century, and today, American Soundscapes invites us to listen not only to places on a map, but to the evolving identity of a nation expressed through sound.

The Union, Concert, op. 48 (1863) (7 minutes)
LOUIS MOREAU GOTTSCHALK (1829-1869)

Michael Stephen Brown, piano

Prelude, Allegro and Pastorale (1941) (14 minutes)
REBECCA CLARKE (1886 – 1979)

Todd Darren Palmer, clarinet • Toby Appel, viola

An Impossible Conversation (2026) World Premiere
MICHAEL STEPHEN BROWN

Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Ian Maloney, cello • Michael Stephen Brown, piano

INTERMISSION

Appalachian Spring “Ballet for Martha” (1944) (27 minutes)
AARON COPLAND (1900-1990)

Ani Kavafian & Luke Henderson, violin 1 • Daniel Phillips & Benny Kim, violin 2 • Toby Appel& James Preucil, viola • Ian Maloney & Vanny Hu, cello • Chelsea Strayer, double bass • Marina Iwao, piano • Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Todd Darren Palmer, clarinet • Peter Kolkay, bassoon

Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
Moreno Valley Preparatory

This program explores how the idea of America—its rhythms, stories, and spirit—has inspired composers on both sides of the Atlantic. Featuring works by George Gershwin, Francis Poulenc, Antonín Dvorák, John Deak, Stephen Foster, and others, it traces a rich musical dialogue between Europe and the New World.

From Gershwin’s vibrant fusion of jazz and classical traditions to Poulenc’s wit and elegance, from Dvorák’s belief that America’s musical future would grow from its diverse cultural roots to John Deak’s imaginative B.B. Wolf, the program celebrates the many ways composers have responded to America’s creative energy. Stephen Foster’s beloved songs remind us of one of the earliest voices to shape the nation’s musical identity.

Together, these works—and many more throughout the program—celebrate America not simply as a place, but as a continuing source of artistic inspiration, where traditions meet, evolve, and create something entirely new.

Near Collision (2026)
MICHAEL STEPHEN BROWN

Michael Brown, piano • Marina Iwao, piano

Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon (1922) (8 minutes)
Francis POULENC (1899-1963)

• Allegro: Très rythmé
• Romance: Andante très doux
• Finale: Très animé/Andante

Todd Palmer, clarinet • Michael Stephen Brown, piano

B.B Wolf (1996) (7 minutes)
JOHN DEAK (b. 1943)

Chelsea Strayer, bass

Going Home
DVORÁK /BROWN

Selections from the Social Orchestra
STEPHEN FOSTER/O’CONNOR

• Village Quadrille No. 1
• My Old Kentucky Home
• Jeannie’s Own Schottisch
• Beautiful Dreamer
• Village Quadrille No. 4

Daniel Phillips, Luke Henderson, Henry Rogers & Ani Kavafian, violin 1 • Benny Kim, Chili Ekman & Isaac Park, violin 2 • Toby Appel, Amelia Krinke, & James Preucil, viola • Colin Carr, Ian Maloney & Vanny Hu, cello • Chelsea Strayer, double bass • Marina Iawo & Michael Stephen Brown, piano • Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Todd Darren Palmer, clarinet • Peter Kolkay, bassoon

And MORE!!!

Monday, August 24, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. • Free
United Church of Angel Fire

Tuesday, Aug 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Angel Fire Baptist Church

As part of the America 250: Echoes of Liberty series, Horizons explores the spirit of discovery that has shaped musical expression across centuries. From American innovation to Romantic intensity and Classical grandeur, these works reveal composers continually pushing beyond inherited boundaries in search of new artistic possibilities.

The program begins with Charles Ives’s “The Call of the Mountains,” a distinctly American vision that looks toward both the landscape and ideals that have shaped the nation. Blending echoes of hymn tunes, nature, memory, and experimentation, Ives creates a musical language that is at once deeply rooted and boldly forward-looking. His music captures the vastness of the American horizon and the restless spirit of exploration that lies at the heart of the American imagination.

From this expansive landscape, the program turns inward with Felix Mendelssohn’s “String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 80,” one of the composer’s most personal and emotionally charged works. Written in the aftermath of his sister Fanny’s death, the quartet transforms grief into powerful artistic expression, revealing a horizon of profound human feeling, memory, and resilience.

The journey concludes with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “String Quintet in C Major, K. 515”, a masterpiece of extraordinary breadth and vision. Expansive in scale and rich in invention, it stretches the possibilities of chamber music while embodying the optimism, balance, and intellectual curiosity of the Enlightenment. In Mozart’s hands, the horizon becomes one of limitless creativity and possibility.

Together, these works trace a path across landscapes both physical and emotional, celebrating the enduring human desire to look beyond what is known and imagine new worlds. Horizons invites us to reflect on exploration not only as a journey across space, but as an ever-expanding pursuit of artistic freedom, understanding, and vision.

The Call of the Mountains (1907-1913) (12 Minutes)
CHARLES IVES (1874-1954)

The Dolphins
Luke Henderson, violin • Isaac Park, violin • James Preucil, viola • Ian Maloney, cello

String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80 (1847) (25 minutes)
MENDELSSOHN (1809 – 1847)

• Allegro vivace assai
• Allegro assai
• Adagio
• Finale: Allegro molto

Candide Quartet
Chili Ekman, violin • Henry Rogers, violin • Amelia Krinke, viola • Vanny Hu, cello

INTERMISSION

String Quintet C major, K. 515 (1787) (37 Minutes)
MOZART (1756-1791)

• Allegro
• Menuetto; Allegretto
• Andante
• Molto Allegro

Ida Kavafian, violin • Daniel Phillips, violin • Steven Tenenbom, viola • Amelia Krinke, viola • Colin Carr, cello

Thursday, August 26, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
Angel Fire Baptist Church

This program explores America as a place of movement, imagination, and reinvention—a landscape that has inspired composers to dream boldly and listen deeply.

We begin with “Voyage” by John Corigliano, a work shaped by lyricism, reflection, and emotional searching. Corigliano’s music invites us into an inner journey, where memory, discovery, and transformation unfold through sound.
The energy intensifies with “Shaker Loops” by John Adams. Inspired by the ecstatic movement of Shaker worship and driven by pulsing rhythms, the piece embodies both spiritual fervor and modern momentum. It reflects an America in motion—restless, visionary, and alive with possibility.

Antonín Dvorák’s “String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97,” known as the “American Quintet,” offers a European master’s affectionate response to the New World. Written during his years in the United States, the work draws inspiration from American spirituals, folk traditions, and the vastness of the American landscape, transforming them into music of warmth, optimism, and expansive beauty. The program concludes with George Gershwin’s “Lullaby for Strings”, a work of remarkable charm and tenderness. Composed while he was still a student, it reveals the lyrical gift that would later make him one of America’s most beloved musical voices. Its gentle melodies and quiet warmth provide a fitting close to a program that celebrates aspiration, discovery, and the enduring power of the American imagination.

Together, these works trace journeys across geography, history, and memory. From introspection to spiritual energy, from cultural exchange to quiet reflection, New World Dreams celebrates America not only as a place on a map, but as a continuing source of artistic wonder and renewal.

Voyage (1983) (9 min)
JOHN CORIGLIANO (b. 1938)

Tara Helen O’Connor, flute • Daniel Phillips, Isaac Park, Luke Henderson & Benny Kim, violin 1 • Ida Kavafian, Ani Kavafian, Chili Ekman & Henry Rogers, violin 2 • Toby Appel, James Preucil, Amelia Krinke & Steven Tenenbom, viola • Colin Carr, Vanny Hu & Ian Maloney, cello • Chelsea Strayer, bass

Shaker Loops (for 3 violins, 1 viola, 2 celli, 1 contrabass) (1978) (28 min)
JOHN ADAMS (b.1947)

1. Shaking and Trembling
2. Hymning Slews
3. Loops and Verses
4. A Final Shaking

Luke Henderson, Henry Rogers & Isaac Park, violin • Amelia Krinke, viola • Vanny Hu & Ian Maloney, cello • Chelsea Strayer, double bass

INTERMISSION

String Quintet No. 3, op. 97 ‘American’ (1893) (30 min)
ANTONIN DVORÁK (1841-1904)

• Allegro non tanto
• Allegro vivo — Un poco meno mosso
• Larghetto with 5 variations
• Finale. Allegro giusto

Ani Kavafian & Benny Kim, violin • Toby Appel & James Preucil, viola • Colin Carr, cello

Lullaby for Strings (1919) (9 min)
GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937)

Daniel Phillips, Isaac Park, Luke Henderson & Benny Kim, violin 1 • Ida Kavafian, Ani Kavafian, Chili Ekman & Henry Rogers, violin 2 • Toby Appel, James Preucil, Amelia Krinke & Steven Tenenbom, viola • Colin Carr, Vanny Hu & Ian Maloney, cello • Chelsea Strayer, bass